Hogget ewes sold up to a high of €285/head at the Suffolk-cross Cheviot show and sale held at Blessington Mart on Tuesday (August 10).
The breeding sale was held in conjunction with the Wicklow-based mart’s weekly sale of lambs and ewes with a very strong demand seen, with customers aplenty, according to the mart’s manager, John Doyle.
Looking at the trade for hogget ewes first, prices ranged from €200/head up to a tops, as already mentioned, of €285/head.
Prize winners – Hogget ewes:
- 1st: Lot 121 sold for €280/head, bred by John Slattery;
- 2nd: Lot 116 sold for €255/head, bred by James Wilson;
- 3rd: Lot 106 sold for €285/head, bred by Patrick Kenny.
Moving onto the ewe lambs, again a very good trade was seen. Prices ranged from €150/head up to a high of €252/head.
Prize winners – Ewe lambs:
- 1st: Lot 462 sold for €252/head, bred by Dermot Corrigan;
- 2nd: Lot 470 sold for €176/head, bred by Thomas Boylan;
- 3rd: Lot 469 sold for €170/head, bred by Thomas Jones.
Dermot Corrigan and family presented first prize for their pen of ewe lambs that sold for a top price of €252/head.Source: Blessington Mart Thomas Boylan took second prize for his ewe lambs that sold for €176/head. Source: Blessington Mart Tom Jones receiving second prize for his ewe lambs that sold for €170/head. Source: Blessington Mart
General sale of sheep at Blessington on Tuesday
Alongside the show and sale, the usual sale of lambs and cull ewes took place and was met with a good lively trade, with a good demand seen for fat and store lambs, in particular.
Heavy lambs generally made from €128/head up to a high of €136/head, with factory-type lambs making from €112/head up to a tops of €128/head.
Stores over 40kg traded from €100/head up to €112/head, while store lambs from 35-39/kg sold from €88/head to €103/head.
30-34kg stores made from €65/head up to €88/head.
Once again, heavy ewes were a very good trade and sold to a high of €190/head. Light store ewes sold back to €76/head.